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TV Toaster is a blog dedicated to reviews of movies (some new), TV shows (mostly old), and music (we prefer the classics). We also feature quotes, favorite scenes, and other goodies that catch my eye and keep me amused.

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Archive for August, 2016

I’ve seen this movie twice in the last ten days, and, with scenes still (happily) swirling around in my head, now seems like as good a time as any to compile my comments.

CAUTION! SPOILERS!

With Captain America and the Winter Soldier, the writers checked Requisite Bromance off their list of Marvel movie staples.

Natasha Romanoff: Looking over your shoulder should be second nature.
Sam Wilson: Anyone ever tell you you’re a little paranoid?
Natasha Romanoff: Not to my face. Why, did you hear something?

Thumbsup on the continuity, having the leaked Hydra information be what led Zemo to the trigger words/book.

I truly hated that the Avengers were being taken to task for the aftermath of those attacks. The Avengers didn’t unleash other-worldly aliens on New York. The Avengers didn’t crash SHIELD’s flying fortress in DC. The Avengers didn’t choose Sokovia as ground zero in their plan to destroy the world. In all those cases, they tried to help, even though, no, they couldn’t save everyone. I think I hated this line of the plot so much because it plays out so often in real life: people who don’t! do! anything! rush to shame and blame whenever someone else makes an effort.

I also HATED Tony Stark trying so hard (and so uncharacteristically) to appease the secretary of state, Ross. Being so wealthy, Tony certainly has the most to lose if he’s branded a criminal, but I don’t think his motivation for agreeing with Ross is self-preservation. One of the few reviews I read of this movie pointed out that Tony’s faith in himself is shaken after his causing the Ultron fiasco (and feeling responsibility for all the damage from that), not to mention his failure on a personal level with Pepper. I think we’ve all been there: made some bad choices and found ourselves wanting someone else to do the heavy lifting, to make the decisions and tell us what to do next. But most of the time, it’s not that easy. The responsibility remains ours. And that is as it should be. For better or worse, we each have to do our part. As Peter Parker put it, “When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen? They happen because of you.”

Ross’s repeated demands to be in charge strike me as a red flag, especially when it seems that the Avengers will have no voice in the decision making: in that light, the neatly-bound Sokovia Accords bear a strong resemblance to a red book with a black star on it. Ross (oh, right, “the panel”) basically wants a team of winter soldiers, but as we see with Barnes, the problem with such tight reins is that someone else can take them. No doubt speaking from recent experience, Cap warns that people have agendas, and Zemo demonstrates the lengths to which some will go for them.

Another line for the drinking game: “A super-person wears a hat/sunglasses/hoodie in an effort to blend in.”

When Barnes was framed, I thought of The Fugitive, except there, someone was framed BY the one-armed man; here, the one armed man WAS framed.

Cap’s the best kind of friend: the kind who believes the best in you when no one else does… Not even you. And he doesn’t just say, “I know he didn’t do it”… then sit there. He moves to help, even at great personal cost.

It’s pretty awesome that the cure for Hydra programming is the same as that for TV show amnesia: being rendered unconscious.

Barnes says later that he remembers all of his victims, but when he comes to after being “triggered,” he asks, “What did I do?” He does seem like he’s a bit high/coming off a drunk. Perhaps coming out of the programming and back to his senses is kind of hazy, like waking up out of an intense dream.

I wasn’t surprised that Barnes could have broken out of their porta-prison; he fights back only when he’s in danger of being returned to a different cage. I think he was complying in an effort to pay his dues. Cap tried to dismiss Barnes’ earlier actions as being controlled by someone else. In Barnes’ case, the extent of his responsibility is debatable, but while some would relish such a pass (“They made me do it!”), Barnes still acknowledges that he was the one who did those things.

“I used to think of myself one way. But after this… I am something else. And still me, I think. But that’s not what everyone else sees.” Wanda’s declaration could also apply to Barnes… and to each of the Avengers, to varying degrees. Except maybe Vision.

It was nice to see even Vision finding a bit of humanity, being distracted by Wanda, when not even he thought it was possible for him to be distracted.

I liked how Barnes and Mackie smile, knowing that kissing Agent Carter is a milestone for Steve.

I also liked how everyone is such a fan of Cap.

“Help me, Wanda.” Barton’s nod to the Beach Boys?

When I first heard that this installment was about “civil war,” I put off seeing it, and when I finally decided to go, I was fully prepared to hate it. But I didn’t, primarily because even as The Avengers started to divide, both sides maintained respect. The attitude was, “I hate that it’s come to this” but each stood their ground. Without that respect, the dividing plot would’ve been intolerable to me.

“I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, but there’s usually not this much talking.” Methinks this is a pointed (albeit good-natured) jab at nearly every comic book fight… including the ones in this movie.

I didn’t like the Peter Parker character being so young and inexperienced, although his fawning and uninhibited observations certainly lightened the atmosphere. Plus, if he was older and experienced, the fight might’ve ended a different way.

“You have the right to remain silent…” Spiderman to Barnes and Mackie XD

“I picture you as a redhead.” “You must be thinking of someone else.” “Must be.” Tony Stark and Friday. Hmm, what redhead might he be thinking of??

Cap confesses knowing that Barnes killed Stark’s parents, but how long had Cap known? It’s logical to assume that Barnes recounted details when he told Sam and Cap of Zemo’s interest in that December mission. But it’s also likely that Cap researched all he could while he was looking for Barnes, so maybe he knew even before the events of this movie.

Shades of Buffy the Vampire Slayer character Angel with the Winter Soldier tormented by memories of all his victims.